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Bulgaria

2025 Edition · 434 data fields

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Introduction

Background

The Bulgars, a Central Asian Turkic tribe, merged with the local Slavic inhabitants in the late 7th century to form the first Bulgarian state. In succeeding centuries, Bulgaria struggled with the Byzantine Empire to assert its place in the Balkans, but by the end of the 14th century, the Ottoman Turks overran the country. Northern Bulgaria attained autonomy in 1878, and all of Bulgaria became independent from the Ottoman Empire in 1908. Having fought on the losing side in both World Wars, Bulgaria fell within the Soviet sphere of influence and became a People's Republic in 1946. Communist domination ended in 1990, when Bulgaria held its first multiparty election since World War II and began the contentious process of moving toward political democracy and a market economy while combating inflation, unemployment, corruption, and crime. The country joined NATO in 2004, the EU in 2007, and the Schengen Area for air and sea travel in 2024.

Geography

Area

Land: 108,489 sq km
Total: 110,879 sq km
Water: 2,390 sq km

Area - comparative

almost identical in size to Virginia; slightly larger than Tennessee

Climate

temperate; cold, damp winters; hot, dry summers

Coastline

354 km

Continent

Europe

Elevation

Highest point: Musala 2,925 m
Lowest point: Black Sea 0 m
Mean elevation: 472 m

Geographic coordinates

43 00 N, 25 00 E

Geography - note

strategic location near Turkish Straits; controls key land routes from Europe to Middle East and Asia

Irrigated land

929 sq km (2016)

Land boundaries

Border countries: Greece 472 km; Macedonia 162 km; Romania 605 km; Serbia 344 km; Turkey 223 km
number of neighbors: 5
Total: 1,806 km

Land use

Agricultural land: 46.1% (2023 est.)
Agricultural land: arable land: arable land: 32.1% (2023 est.)
Agricultural land: permanent crops: permanent crops: 1.3% (2023 est.)
Agricultural land: permanent pasture: permanent pasture: 12.7% (2023 est.)
arable land: 32.12%
Forest: 36.2% (2023 est.)
Other: 17.7% (2023 est.)
permanent crops: 1.25%

Landlocked

Location

Southeastern Europe, bordering the Black Sea, between Romania and Turkey

Major rivers (by length in km)

Dunav (Danube) (shared with Germany [s], Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Ukraine, Moldova, and Romania [m]) - 2,888 km note: [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth

Major watersheds (area sq km)

Atlantic Ocean drainage: (Black Sea) Danube (795,656 sq km)

Map links

Google Maps: https://goo.gl/maps/F5uAhDGWzc3BrHfm9
OpenStreetMap: https://www.openstreetmap.org/relation/186382

Map references

Europe

Maritime claims

Contiguous zone: 24 nm
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 12 nm

Natural hazards

earthquakes; landslides

Natural resources

bauxite, copper, lead, zinc, coal, timber, arable land

Population distribution

a fairly even distribution throughout most of the country, with urban areas attracting larger populations

Subregion

Southeast Europe

Terrain

mostly mountains with lowlands in north and southeast

Time zone

UTC+02:00
number of time zones: 1

People and Society

Age structure

0-14 years: 13.8% (male 479,586/female 453,423)
15-64 years: 65.2% (male 2,250,962/female 2,171,279)
65 years and over: 21% (2024 est.) (male 572,943/female 854,466)

Alcohol consumption per capita

Beer: 4.44 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Other alcohols: 0.06 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Spirits: 4.96 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Total: 11.18 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Wine: 1.72 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Birth rate

7.88 births/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

1.6% (2014)

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

56.6% (2023 est.)

Death rate

14.18 deaths/1,000 population (2025 est.)
adult female: 118 per 1,000
adult male: 234 per 1,000

Dependency ratios

Elderly dependency ratio: 32.7 (2025 est.)
Potential support ratio: 3.1 (2025 est.)
Total dependency ratio: 53.3 (2025 est.)
Youth dependency ratio: 20.7 (2025 est.)

Drinking water source

improved total: 96.21%
Improved: rural: rural: 97.3% of population (2022 est.)
Improved: total: total: 99.1% of population (2022 est.)
Improved: urban: urban: 99.6% of population (2022 est.)
Unimproved: rural: rural: 2.7% of population (2022 est.)
Unimproved: total: total: 0.9% of population (2022 est.)
Unimproved: urban: urban: 0.4% of population (2022 est.)

Education expenditure

Education expenditure (% GDP): 4.5% of GDP (2022 est.)
Education expenditure (% national budget): 12% national budget (2022 est.)

Education expenditures

5 % of GDP

Ethnic groups

Bulgarian 78.5%, Turkish 7.8%, Roma 4.1%, other 1.2%, unspecified 9.4% (2021 est.)
note: note: Romani populations are usually underestimated in official statistics and may represent 9–11% of Bulgaria's population

Gross reproduction rate

0.74 (2025 est.)

Health expenditure

8 % of GDP
Health expenditure (as % of GDP): 8.6% of GDP (2021)
Health expenditure (as % of national budget): 11.6% of national budget (2022 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

0.1%

Hospital bed density

7.8 beds/1,000 population (2020 est.)

Infant mortality rate

Female: 6.6 deaths/1,000 live births
Male: 8.7 deaths/1,000 live births
neonatal: 3 deaths/1,000 live births
Total: 7.5 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)

Languages

Languages: Bulgarian (official) 77.3%, Turkish 7.9%, Romani 3.5%, other 1%, unspecified 10.4% (2021 est.)
Major-language sample(s): Светoвен Алманах, незаменимият източник за основна информация. (Bulgarian) The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.
number of languages: 1

Life expectancy at birth

Female: 79.4 years
Male: 72.9 years
Total population: 76.1 years (2024 est.)

Major urban areas - population

1.288 million SOFIA (capital) (2023)

Maternal mortality ratio

6 deaths/100,000 live births (2023 est.)

Median age

Female: 47 years
Male: 43.3 years
Total: 45.5 years (2025 est.)

Mother's mean age at first birth

26.4 years (2020 est.)

Nationality

Adjective: Bulgarian
Noun: Bulgarian(s)

Net migration rate

-0.3 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2025 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

25% (2016)

Physician density

4.33 physicians/1,000 population (2022)

Population

Female: 3,456,782
Male: 3,281,215
Total: 6,737,997 (2025 est.)

Population growth rate

-0.66% (2025 est.)

Religions

Christian 64.7%, Muslim 9.8%, other 0.1%, none 4.7%, unspecified 20.7% (2021 est.)

Sanitation facility access

improved total: 75.72%
Improved: rural: rural: 100% of population (2022 est.)
Improved: total: total: 100% of population (2022 est.)
Improved: urban: urban: 100% of population (2022 est.)
Unimproved: rural: rural: 0% of population (2022 est.)
Unimproved: total: total: 0% of population (2022 est.)
Unimproved: urban: urban: 0% of population (2022 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

Female: 16 years (2023 est.)
Male: 15 years (2023 est.)
Total: 15 years (2023 est.)

Sex ratio

0-14 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.67 male(s)/female
At birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

Tobacco use

Female: 30.3% (2025 est.)
Male: 36.2% (2025 est.)
Total: 33.1% (2025 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.52 children born/woman (2025 est.)

Urbanization

Rate of urbanization: -0.28% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Urban population: 76.7% of total population (2023)

Vaccination rate

measles: 94%

Government

Administrative divisions

28 provinces (oblasti, singular - oblast); Blagoevgrad, Burgas, Dobrich, Gabrovo, Haskovo, Kardzhali, Kyustendil, Lovech, Montana, Pazardzhik, Pernik, Pleven, Plovdiv, Razgrad, Ruse, Shumen, Silistra, Sliven, Smolyan, Sofia, Sofia-Grad (Sofia City), Stara Zagora, Targovishte, Varna, Veliko Tarnovo, Vidin, Vratsa, Yambol

Capital

Daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October
Etymology: named after the Church of Saint Sofia in the city, parts of which may date to the 4th century
Geographic coordinates: 42 41 N, 23 19 E
Name: Sofia
Time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Citizenship

Citizenship by birth: no
Citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Bulgaria
Dual citizenship recognized: yes
Residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years

Coat of arms

svg: https://mainfacts.com/media/images/coats_of_arms/bg.svg

Constitution

Amendment process: proposed by the National Assembly or by the president of the republic; passage requires three-fourths majority vote of National Assembly members in three ballots; signed by the National Assembly chairperson; note - under special circumstances, a "Grand National Assembly" is elected with the authority to write a new constitution and amend certain articles of the constitution, including those affecting basic civil rights and national sovereignty; passage requires at least two-thirds majority vote in each of several readings
History: several previous; latest drafted between late 1990 and early 1991, adopted 13 July 1991

Country name

alternative spellings: BG, Republic of Bulgaria, Република България
Conventional long form: Republic of Bulgaria
Conventional short form: Bulgaria
Etymology: named after the Bulgar tribes who settled the lower Balkan region in the 7th century A.D.; the tribal name may come from the Turkic word bulga, or "mixed," referring to the blend of Turkic and Slavic ethnicities in the tribes
FIFA code: BUL
Former: Kingdom of Bulgaria, People's Republic of Bulgaria
Local long form: Republika Bulgaria
local long form (bul): Република България
Local short form: Bulgaria

Diplomatic representation from the US

Chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d'Affaires H. Martin McDOWELL (since May 2025)
Email address and website: acs_sofia@state.gov https://bg.usembassy.gov/
Embassy: 16, Kozyak Street, Sofia 1408
FAX: [359] (2) 937-5209
Mailing address: 5740 Sofia Place, Washington, DC  20521-5740
Telephone: [359] (2) 937-5100

Diplomatic representation in the US

Chancery: 1621 22nd Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
Chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d’Affaires Stefka YOVCHEVA (since 7 May 2025)
Consulate(s) general: Chicago, Los Angeles, New York
Email address and website: office@bulgaria-embassy.org https://www.bulgaria-embassy.org/en/homepage/
FAX: [1] (202) 234-7973
Telephone: [1] (202) 387 5770

Executive branch

Cabinet: Council of Ministers nominated by the prime minister, elected by the National Assembly
Chief of state: President Rumen RADEV (since 22 January 2017)
Election results: 2021: Rumen RADEV reelected president in second round; percent of vote in the first round - Rumen RADEV (independent) 49.4%, Anastas GERDZHIKOV (independent) 22.8%, Mustafa KARADAYI (DPS) 11.6%, Kostadin KOSTADINOV (Revival) 3.9%, Lozan PANOV (independent) 3.7%, other 8.6%; percent of vote in the second round - Rumen RADEV 66.7%, Anastas GERDZHIKOV 31.8%, neither 1.5% 2016: Rumen RADEV elected president in second round; percent of vote - Rumen RADEV (independent, supported by Bulgarian Socialist Party) 59.4%, Tsetska TSACHEVA (GERB) 36.2%, neither 4.5%
Election/appointment process: president and vice president elected on the same ballot by absolute-majority popular vote in 2 rounds, if needed, for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); chairman of the Council of Ministers (prime minister) elected by the National Assembly; deputy prime ministers nominated by the prime minister, elected by the National Assembly
Expected date of next election: fall 2026
Head of government: Prime Minister Rosen ZHELYAZKOV (since 16 January 2025)
Most recent election date: 14 and 21 November 2021

Flag

description: three equal horizontal bands of white (top), green, and red meaning: white stands for peace, love, and freedom; green for the country's agricultural wealth; red for the independence struggle and military courage history: originally adopted in 1879 as a modified version of the Russian tricolor flag, using green instead of blue; the communist coat of arms was added to the flag in various forms between 1948 and 1990, when it was removed after the communist government collapsed

Flag description

The flag of Bulgaria is composed of three equal horizontal bands of white, green and red.

Flag image

svg: https://flagcdn.com/bg.svg

Government type

parliamentary republic

Independence

3 March 1878 (as an autonomous principality within the Ottoman Empire); 22 September 1908 (complete independence from the Ottoman Empire)

International law organization participation

accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

International organization participation

Australia Group, BIS, BSEC, CD, CE, CEI, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECB, EIB, EU, FAO, G- 9, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, IHO (pending member), ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NATO, NSG, OAS (observer), OIF, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, SELEC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNHRC, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNOOSA,  UNWTO, UPU, Wassenaar Arrangement, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

Judicial branch

Highest court(s): Supreme Court of Cassation consists of a chairman and approximately 72 judges organized into penal, civil, and commercial colleges; Supreme Administrative Court is organized into 2 colleges with various panels of 5 judges each; Constitutional Court consists of 12 justices) and resides outside the judiciary
Judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court of Cassation and Supreme Administrative judges elected by the Supreme Judicial Council or SJC (consists of 25 members with extensive legal experience) and appointed by the president; judges can serve until mandatory retirement at age 65; Constitutional Court justices elected by the National Assembly and appointed by the president and the SJC; justices appointed for 9-year terms with renewal of 4 justices every 3 years
Subordinate courts: appeals courts; regional and district courts; administrative courts; courts martial

Legal system

civil law

Legislative branch

Electoral system: proportional representation
Expected date of next election: October 2028
Legislative structure: unicameral
Legislature name: National Assembly (Narodno sabranie)
Most recent election date: 10/27/2024
Number of seats: 240 (all directly elected)
Parties elected and seats per party: Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria Party (GERB) - Union of Democratic Forces (UDF) (66); We Continue the Change - Democratic Bulgaria (36); Revival (Vuzrazhdane) (33); Movement for Rights and Freedoms (DPS) - New Beginning (29); Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) - United Left (19); Alliance for Rights and Freedoms (APS) (19); There is Such a People (PP-ITN) (17); Other (21)
Percentage of women in chamber: 25%
Scope of elections: full renewal
Term in office: 4 years

National coat of arms

Bulgaria’s coat of arms in the national colors of white, green, and red was adopted in 1997; the three lions are a national symbol for strength, courage, and leadership that was used during the country’s liberation movement in the 1870s and the kingdom period in the early 20th century; above the shield is the crown of Bulgaria (originally the crown of the medieval Bulgarian tsars) with a gold cross on top; a white scroll over the oak branches bears the Bulgarian national motto, “United we stand strong”

National color(s)

white, green, red

National heritage

Selected World Heritage Site locales: Boyana Church (c); Madara Rider (c); Thracian Tomb of Kazanlak (c); Rock-Hewn Churches of Ivanovo (c); Rila Monastery (c); Ancient City of Nessebar (c); Thracian Tomb of Sveshtari (c); Srebarna Nature Reserve (n); Pirin National Park (n); Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians (n)
Total World Heritage Sites: 10 (7 cultural, 3 natural)

National holiday

Liberation Day, 3 March (1878)

National symbol(s)

lion

Political parties

BSP for Bulgaria (electoral alliance of BSP, PKT, Ecoglasnost) Bulgarian Rise or BV Bulgarian Socialist Party or BSP Citizens for the European Development of Bulgaria or GERB (alliance with SDS) Democratic Bulgaria or DB (electoral alliance of Yes! Bulgaria, DSB, and The Greens) Democrats for a Strong Bulgaria or DSB Ecoglasnost Green Movement or The Greens Movement for Rights and Freedoms or DPS Political Club Thrace or PKT Revival Stand Up.BG or IS.BG There is Such a People or ITN Union of Democratic Forces or SDS (alliance with GERB) Yes! Bulgaria We Continue the Change or PP We Continue the Change and Democratic Bulgaria or PP-DB (electoral alliance of PP, DB, Yes! Bulgaria)

Start of week

Monday

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

UN Member

Yes

Economy

Agricultural products

wheat, maize, sunflower seeds, barley, milk, rapeseed, grapes, potatoes, triticale, tomatoes (2023)
note: note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

Average household expenditures

On alcohol and tobacco: 4.8% of household expenditures (2023 est.)
On food: 20.7% of household expenditures (2023 est.)

Budget

Expenditures: $37.546 billion (2023 est.)
Note: note: central government revenues (excluding grants) and expenditures converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated
Revenues: $35.615 billion (2023 est.)

Currency

code: BGN
name: Bulgarian lev (BGN) [лв]

Current account balance

$-1,741,000,000
Current account balance 2022: -$2.43 billion (2022 est.)
Current account balance 2023: -$894.86 million (2023 est.)
Current account balance 2024: -$2.014 billion (2024 est.)
Note: note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars

Debt - external

$47.21 billion
Debt - external 2022: $14.277 billion (2022 est.)
Note: note: present value of external debt in current US dollars

Economic overview

upper-middle-income EU economy; currency pegged to the euro, with eurozone accession pending; declining energy prices helping lower inflation rate; EU structural funds contributing to investment recovery; skilled labor shortage driven by emigration and aging population

Exchange rates

Currency: leva (BGN) per US dollar -
Exchange rates 2020: 1.716 (2020 est.)
Exchange rates 2021: 1.654 (2021 est.)
Exchange rates 2022: 1.86 (2022 est.)
Exchange rates 2023: 1.809 (2023 est.)
Exchange rates 2024: 1.808 (2024 est.)

Exports

$63.89 billion
Exports 2022: $63.246 billion (2022 est.)
Exports 2023: $63.415 billion (2023 est.)
Exports 2024: $62.661 billion (2024 est.)
Note: note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars

Exports - commodities

refined petroleum, garments, refined copper, wheat, natural gas (2023)
note: note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

Exports - partners

Germany 14%, Romania 11%, Italy 8%, Greece 6%, Turkey 5% (2023)
note: note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports

Foreign direct investment

net inflows: $3.55 billion

GDP - composition, by end use

Exports of goods and services: 55.8% (2024 est.)
Government consumption: 19.7% (2024 est.)
Household consumption: 57.6% (2024 est.)
Imports of goods and services: -53.5% (2024 est.)
Investment in fixed capital: 17.9% (2024 est.)
Investment in inventories: 2.5% (2024 est.)
Note: note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

Agriculture: 2.1% (2024 est.)
Industry: 22.5% (2024 est.)
Note: note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data
Services: 62.6% (2024 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$112.212 billion (2024 est.)
note: note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate

GDP per capita (nominal)

$17,596

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income

41.3 (2018)
Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2022: 38.2 (2022 est.)
Note: note: index (0-100) of income distribution; higher values represent greater inequality

GNI (gross national income)

$107.61 billion

GNI per capita

$15,370

Gross domestic investment

20 % of GDP

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Highest 10%: 30.1% (2022 est.)
Lowest 10%: 2.1% (2022 est.)
Note: note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population

Imports

$61.04 billion
Imports 2022: $62.261 billion (2022 est.)
Imports 2023: $59.158 billion (2023 est.)
Imports 2024: $60.029 billion (2024 est.)
Note: note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars

Imports - commodities

crude petroleum, copper ore, cars, packaged medicine, electricity (2023)
note: note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

Imports - partners

Germany 12%, Turkey 8%, Romania 8%, Russia 7%, Italy 6% (2023)
note: note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports

Industrial production growth rate

1.9% (2024 est.)
note: note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

Industries

electricity, gas, water; food, beverages, tobacco; machinery and equipment, automotive parts, base metals, chemical products, coke, refined petroleum, nuclear fuel; outsourcing centers

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

2.45%
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022: 15.3% (2022 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023: 9.4% (2023 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2024: 2.4% (2024 est.)
Note: note: annual % change based on consumer prices

Labor force

3.124 million (2024 est.)
note: note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work
total: 3.07 million persons

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture: 4.69%
industry: 27.88%
services: 67.43%

Population below poverty line

20.6% (2022 est.)
note: note: % of population with income below national poverty line

Public debt

Note: note: central government debt as a % of GDP
Public debt 2023: 30.1% of GDP (2023 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

$270.34 billion
Note: note: data in 2021 dollars
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022: $209.683 billion (2022 est.)
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023: $213.64 billion (2023 est.)
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2024: $219.645 billion (2024 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

3.39%
Note: note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency
Real GDP growth rate 2022: 4% (2022 est.)
Real GDP growth rate 2023: 1.9% (2023 est.)
Real GDP growth rate 2024: 2.8% (2024 est.)

Real GDP per capita

$41,969
Note: note: data in 2021 dollars
Real GDP per capita 2022: $32,400 (2022 est.)
Real GDP per capita 2023: $33,100 (2023 est.)
Real GDP per capita 2024: $34,100 (2024 est.)

Remittances

$2.64 billion
Note: note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities
Remittances 2022: 2.3% of GDP (2022 est.)
Remittances 2023: 2.2% of GDP (2023 est.)
Remittances 2024: 2.4% of GDP (2024 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$43.7 billion
Note: note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022: $40.989 billion (2022 est.)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2023: $46.334 billion (2023 est.)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2024: $43.698 billion (2024 est.)

Revenue (excl grants)

35 % of GDP

Tax revenue

21 % of GDP

Taxes and other revenues

20.5% (of GDP) (2023 est.)
note: note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP

Unemployment rate

3.54%
Note: note: % of labor force seeking employment
Unemployment rate 2022: 4.3% (2022 est.)
Unemployment rate 2023: 4.4% (2023 est.)
Unemployment rate 2024: 4.2% (2024 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

Female: 11.8% (2024 est.)
Male: 12.4% (2024 est.)
Note: note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment
Total: 12.1% (2024 est.)

Energy

Coal

Consumption: 20.557 million metric tons (2023 est.)
Exports: 1.091 million metric tons (2023 est.)
Imports: 753,000 metric tons (2023 est.)
Production: 20.97 million metric tons (2023 est.)
Proven reserves: 2.174 billion metric tons (2023 est.)

Electricity

Consumption: 34.221 billion kWh (2023 est.)
consumption per capita: 5,361 kWh
Exports: 7.748 billion kWh (2023 est.)
Imports: 4.415 billion kWh (2023 est.)
Installed generating capacity: 12.939 million kW (2023 est.)
Transmission/distribution losses: 1.972 billion kWh (2023 est.)

Electricity access

Electrification - rural areas: 99.6%
Electrification - total population: 100% (2022 est.)
Electrification - urban areas: 100%

Electricity generation sources

Biomass and waste: 4.1% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Fossil fuels: 35.2% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
hydroelectric: 7.78%
Hydroelectricity: 7.5% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Nuclear: 40.9% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
renewable: 22.19%
Solar: 8.2% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
Wind: 4% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)

Energy consumption per capita

2,604 kg of oil equivalent
Total energy consumption per capita 2023: 102.171 million Btu/person (2023 est.)

Natural gas

Consumption: 2.607 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)
Exports: 2.75 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
Imports: 2.544 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)
Production: 10.444 million cubic meters (2023 est.)
Proven reserves: 5.663 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)

Nuclear energy

Net capacity of operational nuclear reactors: 2.01GW (2025 est.)
Number of nuclear reactors permanently shut down: 4 (2025)
Number of operational nuclear reactors: 2 (2025)
Percent of total electricity production: 40.3% (2023 est.)

Petroleum

Crude oil estimated reserves: 15 million barrels (2021 est.)
Refined petroleum consumption: 101,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)
Total petroleum production: 4,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

Renewable energy consumption

20.4%

Communications

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

per 100 inhabitants: 37 per 100
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 36 (2023 est.)
Total: 2.45 million (2023 est.)

Broadcast media

4 national terrestrial TV stations with 1 state-owned and 3 privately owned; a vast array of TV stations are available from cable and satellite TV providers; state-owned national radio broadcasts over 3 networks; large number of private radio stations, especially in urban areas

Internet country code

.bg

Internet users

Percent of population: 80% (2023 est.)

Postal code format

####

Telephone calling code

+359

Telephones - fixed lines

Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 8 (2024 est.)
Total subscriptions: 552,000 (2024 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100: 118 per 100
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 118 (2024 est.)
Total subscriptions: 7.98 million (2024 est.)

Transportation

Air transport

passengers carried: 723,825 passengers
registered carrier departures: 7,027 departures

Airports

107 (2025)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Driving side

Right

Heliports

8 (2025)

Merchant marine

By type: bulk carrier 2, general cargo 13, oil tanker 8, other 55
Total: 78 (2023)

Ports

Key ports: Burgas, Varna
Large: 1
Medium: 0
Ports with oil terminals: 2
Small: 1
Total ports: 2 (2024)
Very small: 0

Railways

Total: 4,029 km (2020) 2,871 km electrified

Vehicle registration code

Military and Security

Land forces

armored vehicles
tanks

Military - note

the Bulgarian military is responsible for guaranteeing Bulgaria’s independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity, providing support to international peace and security missions, and contributing to national security in peacetime, including such missions as responding to disasters or assisting with border security; the military trains regularly including in multinational exercises with regional partners and with NATO since Bulgaria joined the organization in 2004; it also participates in overseas peacekeeping and other security missions under the EU, NATO, and the UN; in 2022, Bulgaria established and began leading a NATO multinational battlegroup as part of an effort to boost NATO defenses in Eastern Europe following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine; in 2021, Bulgaria approved a 10-year defense development program, which included calls for equipment upgrades and procurements, boosts in manpower, organizational reforms, and greater focus on such areas as cyber defense, communications, logistics support, and research and development the Bulgarian military has participated in several significant conflicts since its establishment in 1878, including the Serbo-Bulgarian War (1885), the First Balkan War (1912-13), the Second Balkan War (1913), World War I (1915-1918), and World War II (1941-45); during the Cold War it was one of the Warsaw Pact’s largest militaries with over 150,000 personnel and more than 200 Soviet-made combat aircraft (2025)

Military and security forces

Bulgarian Armed Forces (aka Bulgarian Army): Land Forces, Air Force, Navy Ministry of Interior: General Directorate National Police (GDNP), General Directorate Border Police (GDBP), Special Unit for Combating Terrorism (SOBT) (2025)
active duty personnel: 37,000
note: note: the GDNP includes the Gendarmerie, a special police force with military status deployed to secure important facilities, buildings and infrastructure, respond to riots, and counter militant threats
percent of total labor force: 1.18 %

Military and security service personnel strengths

approximately 28,000 active duty Armed Forces (2025)
note: note: in 2021, Bulgaria released a 10-year defense plan which called for an active military strength of 43,000

Military deployments

160 Kosovo (NATO/KFOR) (2025)

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

the military's inventory consists largely of Soviet-era armaments, although in recent years Bulgaria has procured some more modern Western weapons systems in an effort to modernize and achieve NATO interoperability (2025)

Military expenditures

2 % of GDP
current USD: $2,329,834,254
Military Expenditures 2021: 1.6% of GDP (2021 est.)
Military Expenditures 2022: 1.6% of GDP (2022 est.)
Military Expenditures 2023: 1.9% of GDP (2023 est.)
Military Expenditures 2024: 2% of GDP (2024 est.)
Military Expenditures 2025: 2.1% of GDP (2025 est.)
percent of central government expenditure: 5.49 %
percent of GDP: 2.15 % of GDP

Military service age and obligation

18 years of age for voluntary service for men and women (2025)
note: note: in 2020, Bulgaria announced a program to allow every citizen up to the age of 40 to join the armed forces for 6 months of military service in the voluntary reserve

Military strength ranking

PowerIndex score: 1.2522

Transnational Issues

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Refugees: 114,728 (2024 est.)
Stateless persons: 862 (2024 est.)

Space

Key space-program milestones

1960s-1990s - participated in the Soviet Interkosmos program, which included the first Bulgarian in space (1979), first domestically produced scientific satellite launched on a Soviet rocket (1981), and participation in the Soviet VEGA project (1985) 2017 - first communications satellite (BulgariaSat-1) built and launched by US 2019 - first domestically built data/educational cube satellite (EnduroSat-1) launched by US 2023 - signed the US-led Artemis Accords outlining principles for cooperation in space exploration 2025 - domestically produced, multispectral remote sensing satellite (Balkan-1) launched by US as part of EU's Copernicus Earth observation program

Space agency/agencies

Space Research and Technology Institute - Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (SRTI-BAS; formed in 1987 but originated from the Central Laboratory for Space Research and the Bulgarian Aerospace Agency, which was established in 1969) (2025)

Space program overview

has a long history of space-related activities going back to the 1960s; develops, produces, and operates satellites; researches, develops, and produces other space technologies, including those related to astrophysics, remote sensing, data exploitation, optics, and electronics; has specialized in producing scientific instruments for space research; has more than 20 research institutes; Cooperating State of the ESA since 2015; works with a variety of foreign space agencies and commercial entities, including those of the ESA, EU, individual ESA and EU member states, India, Japan, Russia, and the US (2025)

Terrorism

Terrorist group(s)

Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS); Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps/Qods Force
note: note: details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in the Terrorism reference guide

Environment

Carbon dioxide emissions

From coal and metallurgical coke: 14.486 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
From consumed natural gas: 5.021 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
From petroleum and other liquids: 13.958 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)
Total emissions: 33.465 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)

Environmental issues

air pollution from industrial emissions; rivers polluted from raw sewage, heavy metals, detergents; deforestation; forest damage from air pollution and acid rain; soil contamination from heavy metals from metallurgical plants and industrial wastes

International environmental agreements

Party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Heavy Metals, Air Pollution-Multi-effect Protocol, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protection, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Marine Dumping-London Protocol, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands, Whaling
Signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Particulate matter emissions

18.6 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

Protected areas

36 % of total land area

Renewable electricity output

12 % of total

Total renewable water resources

21.3 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

Total water withdrawal

26 % of internal resources
Agricultural: 726.434 million cubic meters (2022)
Industrial: 3.879 billion cubic meters (2022)
Municipal: 838 million cubic meters (2022)

Waste and recycling

Municipal solid waste generated annually: 2.859 million tons (2024 est.)
Percent of municipal solid waste recycled: 29.8% (2022 est.)